BOSTON — U.S. Sen. Ed Markey is renewing criticism of ICE’s Burlington field office and demanding more information from federal authorities about the treatment of detainees being held at the facility.
In a letter to David Wesling, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s acting Boston field director, Markey said his response to a previous inquiry about the regional field office’s operation and the federal agency’s “excessive use of force and arrest practices” was inadequate.
“ICE’s response confirmed my concerns that it holds individuals at its Burlington field office in inhumane conditions, such as severe overcrowding and prolonged detention, and fails to provide detainees adequate access to medical care, legal counsel, and interpretation services,” Markey wrote on the eight-page letter.
Markey’s demands come after Wesling replied to a December letter he sent, seeking a raft of details including how many detainees are being held at the facility and for how long. He also requested data about the percentage of detainees who have “violent” criminal records.
In a 10-page letter, Wesling responded to Markey’s questions in a May 6 letter provided by the senator’s office that brushed off complaints about substandard conditions in the facility and said detainees are provided with meals, medical treatment, “and opportunities to communicate with lawyers and their family members.”
Wesling provided ICE data showing about 70% of the nearly 7,500 detainees who were processed at the Burlington facility between January 2025 and April stayed at the facility less than 24 hours before being transferred to another detention center for deportation proceedings.
He ticked off a list of “serious” offenses that “illegal aliens” apprehended in the Boston area in recent years had been accused of, including sexual assault, weapon possession and burglary. But he said ICE is unable to provide the data Markey requested because of a “statistical hold” on its release.
“Illegal entry into the United States is a federal offense,” Wesling wrote. “The notion an illegal alien must then commit additional crimes to be amenable for removal is one not grounded in statute.”
But Markey said in his reply that ICE’s response failed to adequately answer many of his questions.
“The agency’s response also lacked critical information about its cruel enforcement campaign, which has targeted nonviolent individuals and minors, taken place in sensitive locations, and entailed excessive use of force,” the Malden Democrat wrote.
The Burlington facility, a two-story administrative building next to a mall, has become ground zero in Massachusetts Democrats’ push against what they say is unlawful overreach and aggressive tactics by federal immigration agents.
U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton has been a frequent visitor to the facility and made similar claims about conditions and the treatment of immigrants facing deportation proceedings. Moulton, a six-term Salem Democrat, is challenging Markey in the Sept. 3 primary.
Last week, U.S. House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Revere, paid an unofficial visit to the facility to reiterate her opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies and criticize ICE for its “reckless” tactics.
Under federal law, members of Congress can make unannounced oversight visits to immigration facilities that “detain” immigrants. Lawmakers and their staff must request a visit in most cases up to 72 hours in advance, sometimes longer. The press and public are not allowed on such visits.
The Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly disputed claims by Markey and other members of the state’s congressional delegation about substandard conditions in Burlington and other ICE detention centers.
Christian M. Wade covers Massachusetts state government and politics for CNHI News and North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.